These Churro Cruffins are a spectacular hybrid treat that marries the flaky, buttery layers of a croissant with the cinnamon-sugar coating of a churro. Baked in a muffin tin to create their unique shape, these pastries are golden, crisp, and irresistibly sweet.
Filled with a rich dulce de leche center, each bite offers a delightful contrast of textures, making them the ultimate indulgence for brunch or dessert.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: A comforting mix of warm cinnamon and sweet sugar coats a buttery dough, with a decadent caramel-like surprise inside.
- Texture: The exterior is crisp and sugary like a churro, while the interior is soft, flaky, and layered like a croissant.
- Time: 30 minutes active prep, 2 hours resting/chilling, 20 minutes bake time.
- Difficulty: Intermediate. It involves making a yeast dough and laminating it with butter.
What You’ll Need
To make this recipe, you will need a standard 12-cup muffin tin and non-stick spray. A rolling pin is essential for laminating the dough, and a piping bag (or ziplock bag with the corner snipped) makes filling the cruffins easy. The ingredients are pantry staples like flour, yeast, and cinnamon, elevated by a jar of dulce de leche for the filling.
Ingredient Notes
- Instant Yeast – One packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) provides the lift. Instant yeast works quickly and can be mixed directly with the flour.
- Unsalted Butter – You need 1/2 cup at room temperature. Soft butter is crucial for spreading over the dough layers during the folding process.
- Dulce de Leche – This thick caramel sauce makes the perfect filling. You can buy it canned or jarred in the baking aisle or international section.
- Cinnamon Sugar – A blend of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon coats the warm pastries, giving them that signature “churro” finish.
- Flour – All-purpose flour provides the right balance of structure and tenderness for the dough.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Filling – If you don’t have dulce de leche, Nutella or thick vanilla custard (pastry cream) are delicious alternatives.
- Citrus – Add a pinch of orange zest to the sugar coating for a brighter flavor profile.
- Chocolate – Dip the tops in melted chocolate instead of (or in addition to) the cinnamon sugar for a different look.
How to Make Churro Cruffins
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Gradually add the warm water and mix until a dough forms.
- Knead: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
- Laminate: Roll the dough into a rectangle. Spread the room-temperature butter evenly over the surface. Fold the dough into thirds (like a letter). Roll it out again carefully and repeat the folding process twice more. This creates the flaky layers. Wrap and chill the dough for 1 hour to firm up the butter.
- Shape: Cut the chilled dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long strip, then coil it up and place it into a muffin tin prepared with non-stick spray.
- Rise: Let the cruffins rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until they have doubled in size and look puffy.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the cruffins for 20 minutes, or until they are deep golden brown and crispy on the edges.
- Coat: While they bake, mix the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon for the coating in a shallow dish. While the cruffins are still warm, roll them in the mixture until well coated.
- Fill: Using a piping bag fitted with a small tip (or a hole cut in the bag), insert the tip into the center of each cruffin and fill with dulce de leche. Serve warm.
Pro Tip: Coating the cruffins while they are warm is key. The residual heat melts the sugar slightly, helping the cinnamon mixture stick to the flaky layers without needing extra butter.
Recipe Tips
- Water Temperature: Ensure your water is warm (about 110°F) but not hot, or it will kill the yeast.
- Chilling is Crucial: Do not skip the 1-hour chill time. If the butter gets too warm and melts into the dough before baking, you will lose the distinct flaky layers.
- Filling: Be generous but careful when filling. You should feel the cruffin get slightly heavier as you pipe in the caramel.
FAQs
- Can I use puff pastry? Yes, for a shortcut version, you can use store-bought puff pastry sheets. Thaw them, brush with butter, roll, cut, and bake. The texture will be airier and less doughy.
- How do I store these? These are best eaten the day they are made. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for 1-2 days and reheat in the oven to crisp them up.
- Can I make the dough ahead? Yes, you can do the first rise (the chilling step) overnight in the fridge. Shape and proof them the next morning before baking.
Serving Suggestions
- Coffee: Serve alongside a hot cup of coffee or a cortado for dipping.
- Ice Cream: Pair a warm cruffin with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream for a decadent dessert.
- Chocolate Sauce: Serve with a side of warm chocolate ganache for dipping, just like traditional churros.
Make This Recipe in Advance
- Dough Prep: You can prepare the dough through the lamination step and leave it in the fridge overnight.
- Freezing: You can freeze the baked (unfilled, uncoated) cruffins. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warm, then toss in sugar and fill.
Churro Cruffins
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 Cruffins 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Churro Cruffins are a spectacular hybrid treat that marries the flaky, buttery layers of a croissant with the cinnamon-sugar coating of a churro. Baked in a muffin tin to create their unique tall shape, these pastries are golden, crisp, and irresistibly sweet. Filled with a rich dulce de leche center, each bite offers a delightful contrast of textures crunchy sugar on the outside, soft buttery layers on the inside making them the ultimate indulgence for brunch or dessert.
Ingredients
The Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup warm water (approx. 110°F/45°C)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature (for lamination)
The Churro Coating
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
The Filling
- 1 cup dulce de leche (or thick caramel sauce/pastry cream)
Instructions
Make the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Mix: Gradually add the warm water and mix until a dough forms.
Knead
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Work: Knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (The dough should be tacky but not sticky).
Laminate (Create Layers)
Roll the dough out into a thin rectangle. Butter: Spread the 1/2 cup softened butter evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Fold: Fold the dough into thirds like a letter (bottom third up, top third down). Repeat: Gently roll it out again and repeat the folding process twice more.
Chill
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This firms up the butter to create flaky layers.
Shape
Remove dough from fridge. Cut into 12 equal strips. Coil: Roll each strip up into a tight spiral (like a cinnamon roll) and place it into a muffin tin prepared with non-stick spray.
Rise
Cover loosely with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size and puffy.
Bake
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook: Bake for 20 minutes, or until deep golden brown and crispy on the edges.
Coat
While they bake, mix the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Toss: Remove cruffins from the tin while still warm and roll them immediately in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat.
Fill
Fit a piping bag with a small tip (or snip the corner of a ziplock bag). Inject: Poke the tip into the center of each cruffin and pipe in the dulce de leche until you feel the pastry get slightly heavy. Serve warm.
Notes
Water Temp: Ensure your water is warm to the touch (about 110°F) but not hot. Too hot will kill the yeast; too cold will prevent the rise.
Chilling is Crucial: Do not skip the 1-hour chill time. If the butter melts into the dough before baking, you will get a brioche bun instead of flaky layers.
Warm Coating: Rolling the cruffins in sugar while they are hot/warm is essential. The residual heat melts the sugar crystals slightly, helping the cinnamon mixture stick without needing to brush them with extra butter.
Shortcuts: If you don’t want to make dough from scratch, you can use thawed store-bought puff pastry sheets. Brush with butter, roll, cut, and bake for a similar effect.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes (+ 2 hours rest)
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert / Pastry
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French-Spanish Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cruffin
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: churro cruffins, croissant muffin recipe, dulce de leche pastry, cinnamon sugar cruffins, homemade pastries, brunch dessert ideas, hybrid desserts
